TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG, editorial: “Black before eyes”, by Peter Nindler

2023-12-11 21:00:30

Issue from Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Innsbruck (OTS) – The filling of top jobs in the Tyrolean state administration and in state-related companies has followed a well-known pattern for years. ÖVP party members are always well qualified and almost unrivalled.

The leadership in the Tyrolean state administration has had a noticeable turnaround for several years. This explains not only questionable appointments with ÖVP-affiliated followers, but also discrimination against qualified employees. Like in the State Forestry Directorate. In addition, potential managers are increasingly refraining from applying because it is often already clear in advance who will get the job. And ultimately, the 18 weeks of permanent vacation for former Regional Planning Councilor Hannes Tratter (ÖVP), who briefly returned to the state service last year, are also the result of a consciously controlled two-class society in the domestic civil service.
It was already informally clear at this point that Tratter would become managing director of the non-profit building company Neue Heimat. That’s why it wasn’t surprising that the ÖVP politician finally decided to
finally prevailed over 14 competitors. He was credited with having a lot of expertise, experience and an excellent network, and Tratter will officially take up his position in Neue Heimat on January 1st. But there is more than just a bitter aftertaste; postal haggling is on the tip of the tongue for many in the country.
How is all this possible? The system in the country house works relatively easily because the networks are spun in advance in the government offices. Mainly in those of the Tyrolean People’s Party, the respective coalition partner can then nibble on in the subthreshold area.
The state governor’s office offers the greatest springboard, from where a career in state administration can be made. The list of district governors speaks volumes. Even a short stop there is enough to quickly become the country’s human resources manager. Of course, this is a turquoise-black partisan with unrivaled qualifications. Transparency and objectivity in appointments are therefore put to the test and turned upside down.
This party-political thinking continues seamlessly in personnel decisions in companies close to the state – see Tratter and Neue Heimat. But not just there. State governor and human resources officer Anton Mattle (ÖVP) bears political responsibility for this. He failed to break down his predecessor’s system. Now it’s his personnel issues that Mattle can’t just shrug off. By allowing questionable positions, Mattle is only increasing the loss of trust in politics.